The Clones Cyclone's story - SuperSport - Boxing The Clones Cyclone's story Tweet Barry McGuigan’s introduction to boxing gloves is a delightful tale. His career as a boxer is a fascination story. When McGuigan was an Irish lad of about twelve years old, he and some of his pals were playing in a derelict old house in Analore Street in Clones, Ireland, one day. They found a pair of old boxing gloves and someone suggested they do some boxing, with each fighter wearing one glove. That was the day Barry McGuigan decided he wanted to box. He soon joined a club at a place called Wattlebridge and developed into a two-fisted attacker of note. It was the start of a wonderful journey that the Irishman tells Barry McGuigan Cyclone: My Story, a hardcover book with 280 pages, published by Virgin Books. McGuigan was born on February 28, 1961 in Monaghan Town about 21 km from Clones. He was the third of eight children. His parents named him Finbarr Patrick but he was always known as Barry and nicknamed the The Clones Cyclone when he became a popular boxer.

As an amateur he represented Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton in 1978 and in 1980 represented Ireland at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Fighting as a professional, he became one of Ireland’s finest sportsmen of his era. The highlight of his career was on June 8, 1985 at Loftus Road, the Queens Park Rangers football stadium in Shepherds Bush, London. It was the night he fought Eusebio Pedroza, a Panamanian, for the WBA featherweight belt. There were 27 000 spectators and emotions ran high. The vastly experienced champion was making the 20th defence of his belt. The referee was a South African, Stan Christodoulou, who also scored the fight. Against all the odds, McGuigan won on points over 15 rounds. Christodoulou, who was later inducted into the boxing hall of fame, scored the bout 148-138 for McGuigan.

McGuigan and his wife Sandra had planned to stay in London for a few days after the fight, but they were told in a phone call from Clones that his parent’s house had burnt down after the TV set had caught fire during the night. The house was gutted and McGuigan lost all his amateur medals and videos of his fights. In 1985, McGuigan was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first boxer to win the award since Henry Cooper in 1970. However, he did not retain the belt for long. After successful defences against Bernard Taylor and Danilo Cabrera, he lost the title to Steve Cruz on a hot Las Vegas night, June 23, 1986. Two knockdowns in the 15th round cost him the fight as he lost .by close margins. The fight began at six o’clock when the temperature was 43 degrees Celsius; something the Irishman had never encountered. It caused his downfall. Suffering from dehydration, he was taken to hospital, put on a drip and kept there overnight. McGuigan had only four more fights, winning three before losing on cuts to Jim McDonnell in May 1989.

He promptly called it a day, finishing with a professional record of 32 wins, 3 losses with 26 knockouts. It was, however, not the end of the road in boxing for him. He formed an association to protect the rights of boxers and was also a chat show host on BBC1 in the 1980s. He became a boxing commentator on TV and developed into a popular motivational speaker. McGuigan was twice offered an MBE but turned it down. He did it for the sake of his family because of the political troubles at a time when they were living in Clones, a Republican town near the border between north and south. In 1994, he received another offer of an MBA and this time he was able to accept it. In 2005 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota after being inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 2000. An earlier biography, Leave the Fighting to McGuigan, was published in 1985.

The Clones Cyclone's story - SuperSport - Boxing The Clones Cyclone's story Tweet Barry McGuigan’s introduction to boxing gloves is a delightful tale. His career as a boxer is a fascination story. When McGuigan was an Irish lad of about twelve years old, he and some of his pals were playing in a derelict old house in Analore Street in Clones, Ireland, one day. They found a pair of old boxing gloves and someone suggested they do some boxing, with each fighter wearing one glove. That was the day Barry McGuigan decided he wanted to box. He soon joined a club at a place called Wattlebridge and developed into a two-fisted attacker of note. It was the start of a wonderful journey that the Irishman tells Barry McGuigan Cyclone: My Story, a hardcover book with 280 pages, published by Virgin Books. McGuigan was born on February 28, 1961 in Monaghan Town about 21 km from Clones. He was the third of eight children. His parents named him Finbarr Patrick but he was always known as Barry and nicknamed the The Clones Cyclone when he became a popular boxer.

As an amateur he represented Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton in 1978 and in 1980 represented Ireland at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Fighting as a professional, he became one of Ireland’s finest sportsmen of his era. The highlight of his career was on June 8, 1985 at Loftus Road, the Queens Park Rangers football stadium in Shepherds Bush, London. It was the night he fought Eusebio Pedroza, a Panamanian, for the WBA featherweight belt. There were 27 000 spectators and emotions ran high. The vastly experienced champion was making the 20th defence of his belt. The referee was a South African, Stan Christodoulou, who also scored the fight. Against all the odds, McGuigan won on points over 15 rounds. Christodoulou, who was later inducted into the boxing hall of fame, scored the bout 148-138 for McGuigan.

McGuigan and his wife Sandra had planned to stay in London for a few days after the fight, but they were told in a phone call from Clones that his parent’s house had burnt down after the TV set had caught fire during the night. The house was gutted and McGuigan lost all his amateur medals and videos of his fights. In 1985, McGuigan was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first boxer to win the award since Henry Cooper in 1970. However, he did not retain the belt for long. After successful defences against Bernard Taylor and Danilo Cabrera, he lost the title to Steve Cruz on a hot Las Vegas night, June 23, 1986. Two knockdowns in the 15th round cost him the fight as he lost .by close margins. The fight began at six o’clock when the temperature was 43 degrees Celsius; something the Irishman had never encountered. It caused his downfall. Suffering from dehydration, he was taken to hospital, put on a drip and kept there overnight. McGuigan had only four more fights, winning three before losing on cuts to Jim McDonnell in May 1989.

He promptly called it a day, finishing with a professional record of 32 wins, 3 losses with 26 knockouts. It was, however, not the end of the road in boxing for him. He formed an association to protect the rights of boxers and was also a chat show host on BBC1 in the 1980s. He became a boxing commentator on TV and developed into a popular motivational speaker. McGuigan was twice offered an MBE but turned it down. He did it for the sake of his family because of the political troubles at a time when they were living in Clones, a Republican town near the border between north and south. In 1994, he received another offer of an MBA and this time he was able to accept it. In 2005 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota after being inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 2000. An earlier biography, Leave the Fighting to McGuigan, was published in 1985.

The Best-Ever British Boxing Nicknames | Bleacher Report The Best-Ever British Boxing Nicknames Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Associated Press David Haye and Gavin Rees 8.0K 13 Comments Perhaps no sport is as linked with nicknames as boxing, so much so that when Sylvester Stallone penned Rocky, he gave no fewer than five to fictional heavyweight champion Apollo Creed . Fighters have always attracted monikers, going back to 19th-century champ Nonpareil Dempsey and beyond, but really took off around the 1920s, spearheaded by that era's heavyweight king Jack Dempsey—"The Manassa Mauler." British boxing was not always so enamoured with the nickname, associating it more with the hoopla and razzmatazz of the US, where it was a sport for the press pack to coin a nom-de-guerre for upcoming contenders. Plenty of British champions such as Benny Lynch, Ken Buchanan and John Conteh never attracted a moniker that stuck. It's maybe not entirely coincidental that it was in the 1980s, the decade of the Big Bang and rampant commercialism, that the UK truly embraced the nickname.

The likes of "Ragamuffin Man" Lloyd Honeyghan and "Clones Cyclone" Barry McGuigan won world titles and almost edge their way into this list. Consequently, this countdown is dominated by fighters of more recent vintage or those who fought on American soil and picked up a nickname there. Among those who just missed out are Sheffield super-bantamweight Kid Galahad, lightweight contender Anthony "Million Dollar" Crolla and the always enigmatic early 2000s light-middleweight Richard "The Secret" Williams—a name that divides opinion but lodges itself in the memory. And now, here are the 15 best-ever nicknames in British boxing.

Years Active: 1989-2003 Record: 41-2-1 with 32 KOs Early in his career, Lewis was known as "The Lion," but later on he coined his own more distinctive moniker as "The Pugilist Specialist." It fit Lewis' self-styling as a cerebral fighter who talked of his fondness for chess, and although this didn't always go down well with American audiences, he ultimately emerged as the king of the 1990s heavyweights, avoided by Riddick Bowe before defeating Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. This nickname may not inspire fear in the heart of opponents but suited a fighter who could systematically take opponents apart, ultimately registering wins over every man he faced. Years Active: 1986-2002 Record: 31-12-1 with 11 KOs Pictured above is Silky Jones on the left in a British title fight against one of the worst nicknamed Brits—"Spice Boy" Ryan Rhodes.

Before footballers had "good tekkers" or other such recent abominations, they had "silky skills." Paul Jones brought the term to boxing even if wasn't always as silky as he may have made out with 12 losses on his record, four by way of knockout. However, he did claim the WBO light-middleweight title back in 1995 with a huge upset win over Verno Phillips, a great effort on the night and what remains his claim to fame. With a distinctively British use of the word "silky" and the telling fact that he was often referred to in print as just Silky Jones, so that some may not even know his first name, this has to rank highly. File alongside "Sugar" Ray Robinson and "Mantequilla" Jose Napoles. Years Active: 1901-1913, 1919 Record: 53-3-5 with 35 KOs (plus 8 "newspaper decisions") Jim Driscoll wasn't literally undefeated, but like Nonpareil Dempsey before him, he lost very few fights at a time when top fighters took more risks and thus suffered more defeats.

Driscoll had lost just once when in 1909 he beat world featherweight champion Abe Attell on points in a fight where it was stipulated that only a KO could win the Welsh challenger the crown. Despite winning 10 straight fights on US soil from late 1918 to early the next year, he never got the proper title shot he deserved but did claim the British and European belts. On the back of his excellent form in America, it was the legendary cowboy and U.S. newspaperman Bat Masterson who dubbed him "Peerless Jim," a label he thoroughly deserved. Years Active: 2003- Record: 23-12 with 12 KOs Losing six of his first 11 fights, Ovill McKenzie was never supposed to get anywhere in the sport and hasn't benefited from major promotional backing at any point in his career. His nickname, "The Upsetter," recognises that he is reduced to the role of the away fighter looking to spring a surprise on the local favourite—but it's a role he has relished with notable successes.

He nearly did for future world-title challenger Tony Bellew in Liverpool back in 2010, flooring Bellew hard in both of the opening two rounds before the Liverpudlian rallied. After losing a rematch with Bellew, he has bounced back, latterly as a cruiserweight holding both British and Commonwealth titles with five of his last six fights being early KO wins. London's Tony Conquest and County Durham's Jon-Lewis Dickinson are the two most recent victims to be upset in their backyards by McKenzie. Years Active: 1926-1953 Record: 84-34-17 with 24 KOs In the 100-year span between the two undisputed British heavyweight champions—Bob Fitzsimmons and Lennox Lewis—Tommy Farr probably came closest to claiming the crown. He gave champion Joe Louis an unexpectedly tough night at Yankee Stadium in 1937, winning several rounds and going the distance whilst taking his own fair share of licks.

It was his impressive performances on a US tour that continued into 1938 that won him the respect of US sports-writers, which has often been in short supply for British heavies, and with it the sobriquet of "The Tonypandy Terror." This evocative name was typical of the early 20th century and heavyweights such as "The Ambling Alp" Primo Carnera, "The Boston Gob" Jack Sharkey and "The Pottawatomie Giant" Jess Willard. Farr was a British champion and registered a win over former world champion Max Baer. Years Active: 1978-1992, 1996-1998 Record: 48-6 with 28 KOs It has become something of a truism that Herol Graham was one of the best British fighters never to win a world-title, dropping a split-decision to Mike McCallum in 1989, knocked out by Julian Jackson the next year and stopped late against Charles Brewer on his comeback in 1997.

The British WBO champions of the early 1990s, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, were none too keen to face Graham, seeing him as a high-risk, low-reward opponent. His nickname, "Bomber," was deliberately misleading, characterising him as a guy who would be looking for a big punch when he was in actuality a defensive maestro who could frustrate opponents with his unorthodox style and lightning reflexes. The name stuck firm, however, and to this day he is mentioned in print and on the airwaves as just "Bomber" Graham. Latterly Tony Bellew has adopted the same moniker but with less resonance. Years Active: 2008- Record: 10-8 with 9 KOs Larry Olubamiwo is proof that a great nickname can only take you so far. A confessed comicbook fan, he adopted "The War Machine" from an Iron Man character. He was seen as something of a prospect, despite turning pro aged 30, and won 10 of his first 11 fights, all but one of them by KO.

The former bodybuilder's limitations were brutally exposed in 2011 at the York Hall when John McDermott finished him inside the first round. Olubamiwo hasn't won since and sullied his reputation by failing a drugs test in 2012 before admitting to using 13 banned substances. Perhaps it's a shame that a name that conjures so much didn't find a better home, but it's a really good one and deserves its high placing. Years Active: 1911-1921, 1923 Record: 132-3-1 with 99 KOs (plus 8 "newspaper decisions") Jimmy Wilde is arguably the best-ever British boxer pound-for-pound and was the world flyweight champion from 1916 to 1923. He attracted several nicknames including "The Mighty Atom" and "The Tylorstown Terror," but the most pictorial remains "The Ghost with the Hammer in His Hand." For much of his career, Wilde weighed in below 100 pounds when the flyweight limit is 112.

At 5'2.5", he looked small and emaciated yet he still racked up an incredible 99 career knockouts. In 1999, The Ring ranked him the 13th-best fighter of the 20th century across all weight classes. Years Active: 1904-1915 Record: 19-8-1 with 16 KOs Nearly 100 years before there was "Iron" Mike Tyson and Paul "Scrap Iron" Ryan, there was a Yorkshire heavyweight called Iron Hague. He won the British and European heavyweight titles in 1906 by first-round KO but lost against pound-for-pound legend Sam Langford in the same year, the American fighter himself memorably dubbed "The Boston Tar Baby." According to local historians from Mexborough, Hague's hometown, his was a childhood nickname bestowed on him for his iron self will and the ability to take severe corporal punishment without betraying any pain—good preparation for the prize ring. Iron Hague is not to be confused with his namesake and fellow Yorkshireman William Hague, the former Foreign Secretary and one-time Conservative leader.

Years Active: 1987-1996 Record: 42-5-1 with 35 KOs Few fighters have embodied their nickname better than '"he Dark Destroyer" Nigel Benn, one of the flat-out most intimidating British boxers ever. Benn came to destroy or be destroyed and only nine of his 48 fights went the distance—he was memorably outlasted by domestic rivals Michael Watson in 1989 and Chris Eubank in 1990. The Ilford man is notable for his willingness to travel and take on tough challenges, winning world titles on the road in two weight classes, seeing off Doug DeWitt, Iran Barkley and Mauro Galvano along the way. Benn was part of a glamorous era for British boxing when fights on ITV brought in more than 10 million viewers on several occasions . With his flash suits, menacing persona and impressive KO ratio, Benn was a popular favourite who more than lived up to his billing. Years Active: 2002-2012 Record: 26-2 with 24 KOs Some things are just meant to be.

A big-swinging, big-punching cruiserweight turned heavyweight with the surname of Haye could only become "The Hayemaker." Incredibly the clip above shows that Haye made it many years in boxing before the lightning bolt struck and the seemingly most obvious of nicknames was adopted. A pre-national treasure status Clare Balding makes some terrible alternative suggestions as well. Haye says in the interview, "I'm not going to use a nickname," which is probably the first of many occasions that he told the British public one thing and then did another. "The Hayemaker," now nearly 34, has not fought since 2012, but if he can return to fitness, there are some big domestic fights available against young up-and-comers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Years Active: 1910-1925 Record: 41-1 with 34 KOs Technically this is not a nickname but a military rank because Stepney heavyweight Billy Wells was a bombardier in the British Army before he became a professional boxer, with the perfect moniker already at hand.

Wells followed Iron Hague as British heavyweight champion and also scored a win over Gunner Moir, who held the rank below bombardier in the Royal Artillery. After the outbreak of World War One, many of Wells' opponents had military-inflected names such as Guardsman Charlie Penwill, Soldier Jones and the less-than-fearsome-sounding Bandsman Dick Rice. Wells would not have much success on the international stage, twice being knocked out in European title challenges against France's Georges Carpentier who had the singular nom-de-guerre of "The Orchid Man." Years Active: 1992-2002 Record: 36-1 with 31 KOs "You know I bring drama, excitement, you know me, Larry—from my wicked entrance, my flip over the ropes, to a knock-out." So the Prince summed himself up speaking to HBO in 2000. It was often remarked in the 1990s, a time when the Royal Family was perceived to be out of favour, that Prince Naseem was the most popular prince in the land, even if he wasn't too high up in the line of succession.

The long-time world featherweight king elevated himself with his own title early in his boxing career, a typical act of bravado from a showman who ran on confidence. The story may well be apocryphal, but when Hamed arrived in America for his first showcase fight against Kevin Kelley (pictured) with a huge HBO advertising spend behind him, it was said that some US observers genuinely believed he was descended from Yemeni royalty. Such was the pervasiveness and brilliance of the nickname Prince Naseem, a grandiose moniker which Hamed earned the right to bear with his hugely entertaining boxing career. All boxer records from BoxRec . Barry McGuigan, Boxer • Biography & Facts Barry McGuigan Boxer Finbar Patrick McGuigan MBE (born 28 February 1961), known as Barry McGuigan and nicknamed The Clones Cyclone, is a retired professional boxer from Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland who became a World Boxing Association featherweight champion. Barry was a fan favourite for British and Irish audiences, as he represented neutrality and peace in a time when Northern Ireland (which he resided in) was divided as part of The Troubles.

He founded, and is the current President of, the Professional Boxing Association (PBA). Barry McGuigan - Bio, Facts, Family | Famous Birthdays Barry McGuigan Pisces Boxer#9 About Nicknamed "The Clones Cyclone", he is a World Boxing Hall of Famer who was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1985. The Clones Cyclone: How Barry McGuigan United A Divided Nation / By Donie O'Riordan — Art of Boxing March 03, 2016 / Andrew Kennedy First and foremost let’s take a moment to appreciate that glorious tash. I thought I would shake things up a bit this week by profiling Barry McGuigan, a man who’s influence far surpassed the boxing ring. The Clones Cyclone made waves in the sporting world as a result of his talent and boyish charm. McGuigan was a model professional and had no interest in self promotion like McGregor, Fury and Eubank. McGuigan was born in Clones, County Monaghan to a Catholic family. His father was a singer and had success in both the North and South of Ireland. McGuigan was a very modest and respectful young man.

Barry and his brother Dermot began boxing when he was 11 years old. The closest boxing gym was seven miles away so his father built a home gym. According to Barry, Dermot was the superior boxer. However, he lacked the grit, desire and determination to really fulfill his potential. Barry by his own admissions was not talented, but what he lacked in talent he made up for in desire and determination. Not everyone would agree with McGuigan’s modest appraisal of his own abilities. On ITV’s Sports Life Stories one of the contributors claimed McGuigan was born to fight. "It was as if he was sculpted to be a boxer. It was as if an artistic Irish druid had sculpted him out of stone. That was Barry McGuigan.” Father Brian D’arcy claimed he was destined for greatness in any field he chose. "He could have been a singer, but he chose boxing and boxing should be glad about that. He was a wee man, but when he was in the ring he was a giant.” McGuigan would admit he did have certain advantages in the ring that allowed him to have such a successful career. "I’m 5″6 on a good day. I have a 5″10 reach which is unusual.

I have big hands. My power is in my back. I have terrific power in my back, so I knew from the beginning I could hit guys and knock them out cold.” To simply label McGuigan a power puncher would do him a great disservice. McGuigan moved remarkably well, had great head movement, shot selection and was a clinical finisher. Not to mention he had a great gas tank. McGuigan began his amateur career training at Holy family Boxing club in Belfast. It was the only club open during the troubles. Despite being in a Nationalist area the club was open to both Catholics and Protestants. Young boxers only had to adhere to a few rules, no political talk, no bad language and no drugs. If any of the above rules were violated you were shown the door. McGuigan believes that the club was responsible for keeping a lot of young men out of trouble. "It was a very intimidating place to walk into. Flags everywhere, murals on the walls. This place was a sanctuary for people who were on the cusp of crime and sectarian organisations.

This place saved them.” McGuigan had a good amateur pedigree winning the Ulster seniors, Irish Seniors, Irish u19’s, and a gold at the commonwealth games. In 1978 McGuigan represented Northern Ireland in the commonwealth games. He comfortably boxed his way to the final. The final saw him surviving a count on route to victory. Despite his success in the amateurs McGuigan knew he was far more suited to the pro game. "The three minute rounds wasn’t enough for me, I was only getting going. I was ready for the pro game. It would suit my style, it would suit my physique.” In 1981 McGuigan signed with Barney Eastwood. Eastwood was a millionaire bookmaker, but most importantly he was fanatical about boxing. The pair gelled from day one. They were both ambitious and likeable individuals. McGuigan placed a lot of confidence in Eastwood. He knew Eastwood had the connections to fast track his career. After watching McGuigan box in Dublin, Eastwood knew he had something special on his hands. "Barry wasn’t even blowing. there wasn’t even a puff out of him and I said right now this is a 33 round fighter.

From there on I knew something was about to start happening.” Eastwood and McGuigan were extremely close. Dermot Morgan famously wrote a satirical song about their relationship entitled "Thank you very much Mr Eastwood". This was in reference to the fact that McGuigan called the promoter “Mr Eastwood” rather than calling him by his first name. McGuigan won his first two pro fights with ease via TKO. He had his first setback in his third fight against Peter Eubank brother of Chris. The bout was fiercely contested, but Eubank was given the nod on this occasion. McGuigan got a few more wins under his belt and eventually secured a rematch, beating Eubank convincingly by TKO in the eighth round. On June 14th 1982 McGuigan faced Young Ali who was an African champion. McGuigan outclassed Ali and punished him for six rounds. Ali was extremely durable, but he unfortunately sustained life ending injuries during the bout. He had a subdural hematoma and died 5 months after the bout in Nigeria. This had a profound effect on McGuigan.

McGuigan explains to the Mirror in 2011 how he became disillusioned with boxing following the death of young Ali and contemplated retirement. "It’s been a terrible shadow to have over me. A young fella died, they switched off his machine. "It was a very difficult time. I was only 22 and I didn’t want to continue. But my wife was pregnant, I had dedicated my whole life to boxing, I had left school at 16 without any qualifications. So how could I give up all the millions of punches I had thrown and thousands of miles I had run? I simply had nothing else. "I can’t change what happened but I have done my utmost since to help push through new medical rules. But when people fight, very occasionally we have a tragedy.” Following a five month stint on the sidelines McGuigan returned and won 15 consecutive fights on route to British and European honours. Eastwood knew that if McGuigan was going to fight for a world title he would have to fight for the British and European titles first. McGuigan’s decision to fight for the British title was met with a lot of criticism. He was the first Irishman to ever fight for the British title.

McGuigan let it be known from day one he had no interest in political matters. In typical fashion he refused to wear the colour of either nation and chose to wear the dove as a symbol for peace instead. He explains in his book “Cyclone:My Story” he felt the fact he refused to choose sides made him endearing to people on both sides of the border. "[the] shadows ran deep. And my fights felt a little like sunshine. Both sides would say: ‘Leave the fighting to McGuigan.’ You see, it was also entertainment – people loved to forget the Troubles a while. The fact that I wouldn’t wear green, white and gold or put on a sign that said this is who I represent was powerful. It was a very mature and dangerous thing to do. I wouldn’t choose sides. People appreciated that.” James Prior describes the effect McGuigan had on the nation as a whole. "In his boxing matches he was supported enormously, sometimes by the most prejudiced people. Quite often it was those who would go to boxing matches who would be the most protestant, the most catholic, the most unionist or the most nationalist and Barry brings them all together.

That must be good for Northern Ireland.” McGuigan recalls the scene of his first internatonal boxing match against a German foe in 1978 at the Shankhill Road loyalist club. "A friend of a friend took all the guns as people were coming through the door. We got a special dispensation that nobody would be touched. It was right in the middle of the worst time in Northern Irish history.” Northern Ireland was so dangerous at the time that McGuigan had to be accompanied by two policeman for a year. He had even received a death threat in a local newspaper. Despite the death threat McGuigan’s focus remained undeterred. "I didn’t care what the hard line Republicans were saying. I didn’t care what the loyalists said. They didn’t matter a damn to me” McGuigan believed that the Irish people had great admiration for boxers. "Boxing's unique in that it is a violent sport and yet it is appreciated so much, and it is so intuitive to the Irish psyche, the Irish people.” Boxing is indeed a unique sport. Historically it has provided an escape route for poverty stricken kids with little education or prospects. It is a sport where underdogs often triumph.

In the documentary “Champs” Francisco Aguilar, Chairman of the Nevada Athletic commission and Director Spike Lee depict some of the qualities that make boxing so special. "If you look at boxing over time you will see that some of the cultures and ethnicities who have suffered the most have always produced the greatest champions” "Boxing both preys upon and attracts talent from disadvantaged communities and it is almost like you can read a chart of history of disadvantaged communities in the United States at least of which are struggling to make it and which have made it when they disappear from the boxing scene. Especially in America, we had the Jewish boxers, the Irish boxers, the Italian American boxers, the African American boxers and now the predominant Hispanic boxers” In 1985 McGuigan would finally get his world title shot. He faced Eusebio Pedroza who was a very formidable foe. Remarkably he had defended his title 19 times in seven years. McGuigan would be the first to admit Pedroza was by far the more polished boxer. The bout would take place at Loftus Road. McGuigan brought 13,000 travelling fans to the contest. He showed his class once again by refusing to show political allegiance.

Rather than playing “Amhrán na bhfiann” or “God save the queen” his father sang Danny boy before the bout got underway. The fight itself was very compelling and would be contested over 15 rounds. McGuigan knew from the offset that he would have to concede some of the early rounds and that consistent pressure would be one of his keys to victory. "The plan was very simple as soon as the bell rang I ran to the centre of the ring, not behind that but in front of that. The first punch I threw I tried to take his head off so that he would be on the back foot fighting defensively so I am actually coming forward, walking him down. It was all about me putting him under pressure.” McGuigan executed the game plan to perfection in front of a raucous Irish crowd and floored Pedroza in the 7th. Pedroza showed he was extremely durable and somehow had the craft to survive a further onslaught from McGuigan in the 9th and 13th. The bout went the distance, but there was little doubt who had won. The judges decision was a mere formality and McGuigan was crowned Featherweight champion of the world. Following the victory McGuigan’s stock rose considerably.

His charisma and fighting ability made him Ireland’s favourite son. His popularity was such that he had two separate homecomings. The first was in Belfast where 75,000 people came to welcome him home. There was another event in Dublin which saw 200,000 people show their support for the newly crowned world champion. The country was on the verge of shutting down. People were celebrating his victory for weeks. This appeared to be just the beginning of a historic journey. McGuigan defended his title three more times before attempting to conquer the US market. He would face Steve Cruz in Las Vegas. McGuigan was expected to beat Cruz without much difficulty. Father D’arcy describes the conditions leading up to the event. "It was a car park, it was the middle of the day. It’s a desert. I had a plastic pen, I lifted the plastic pen to write at the beginning of the third round and the plastic pen dissolved into a ball.” McGuigan not only had to deal with the heat, but he also had a sprained ankle and an ear injury. Despite all this he fought extremely well and was well ahead on points up until the finish. McGuigan recalls the finish.

"With one round to go all I had to do was stand on my feet, all I had to do was to keep out of trouble. But I was empty, I had no energy and that’s the great thing about boxing. I knew it, but he knew it too.” McGuigan would be rushed straight to hospital after the fight having suffered from severe hydration. The bout was to prove a turning point in his career as it signalled the end of his relationship with longtime promoter Barney Eastwood. The pair fell out after the fight. According to Eastwood McGuigan was a changed man following the world title victory. He claimed McGuigan had so many new advisers their relationship was no longer tenable. "The young man has changed. Since he won the world title he was a changed little boy. He has so many advisers around him. He has more advisers around him than the queen has soldiers.” McGuigan on the other hand claimed Eastwood forced him to fight despite being completely aware of his injuries. "I had a very bad ankle injury and a very severe injury to my ear. I literally begged him to take me home. He wouldn’t take me home. He made all sorts of excuses and still made me go through with the fight.

I’ll never forgive him for that.” The relationship soured to such an extent that Eastwood sued McGuigan for libel and received 400,000 in doing so. The case lasted 5 weeks and it was Northern Ireland’s longest and costliest libel case. It was a bitter note to end one of Ireland’s most successful sporting partnerships. McGuigan would once again go in to retirement following the death of his father in 1987. He returned two years later and signed with Frank Warren for one last tilt at a world title. Barry Hearn offered an extremely lucrative purse to fight Jim McDonnell. This was another fight McGuigan was expected to win comfortably. McDonnell opened a gaping wound over McGuigan’s eye and the bout was stopped as a result. This time McGuigan would retire for real at 28 years old. Mcguigan’s retirement had a profound effect on his brother Dermot. Dermot found it extremely difficult to adjust to life after boxing. Coupled with this Dermot had a difficult break up with his long term girlfriend. He took to drinking heavily and was also using medication to combat his depression. He eventually took his own life.

This was a devastating blow for Barry as he recalls to the Mirror. "I miss my brother, he was such a great man. I don’t know if I will ever get over it.” "I only wish there had been a way I could have helped Dermot more. I know I would have been the one who could have talked him down off the box that fateful day.” "I know that because he left only me and my mother a letter. To have to live with the fact I’ll never see him again is agonising.” Barry recalls to the Mirror how his daughter developed Leukaemia in 1997. Another sickening blow. "It was like being hit with a sledgehammer. No amount of fighting in the ring could have prepared me for it. "I was in Ireland when I got a call from our doctor and I could hear Sandra sobbing in the background. "We spent the next six weeks staying in the hospital hoping and praying Nika would get better. They gave her chemo straight away. I can’t tell you how terrified I was, seeing her go through it all. "She was in a high dependency ward. At one point there were seven kids in there and four of them died.

"We got to know those children and their families. We were going to the funerals, feeling their dreadful loss and wondering if it was going to happen to your child. "But Nika was incredibly strong and positive. God, did she fight. I was so proud of her. I’ve never seen such will power.” McGuigan’s battles outside the ring far surpassed those inside. The Clones Cyclone will go down as one of Ireland’s greatest fighters, but there is also a sense he could have achieved even more if he hadn’t had to deal with so much turmoil outside of the ring. That being said, it is extremely admirable that he retired early with all his faculties intact. Not many fighters throughout the history of boxing have been as fortunate. His legacy goes far beyond the boxing ring. The impact he had on the people of Ireland will be what he is remembered most fondly for. In 2011 McGuigan was honoured with the United Nations Inspiration award for peace.

On the cover of his book fellow peace activist Bono sums up McGuigan’s contribution “At a dark hour in Ireland Barry McGuigan’s spirit shone a light towards peace.“Barry’s not only a champion, he’s a hero.” You can follow Donie on Twitter at @donieoriordan12 / You can view more of his writings here: 0 Likes Barry McGuigan - Highlights The Clones Cyclone - YouTube Barry McGuigan - Highlights The Clones Cyclone Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Oct 10, 2012 Undisputedly, Barry McGuigan was one of the best boxers of his generation. As an amateur he won a multitude of titles, at the tender age of 17 he took the gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games and as a Professional he won the British, European and World Titles.

On a memorable, balmy night in June 1985, a television audience of twenty million watched as McGuigan achieved his dream and became Featherweight Champion of the World by defeating Eusebio Pedroza, voted 'Fight of the Year' by British Boxing Board of Control. His amazing performance later captured him another title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year. McGuigan was voted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005. McGuigan's popularity transcended the sport of boxing and his fights became family occasions, uniting people across sectarian and religious divides during a troubled time in the country's political history. A Catholic, Barry married his Protestant childhood sweetheart, Sandra Mealiff in 1981. An Irishman, he fought for the British Title, his boxing shorts the colours of the United Nation's Flag of Peace and rather than an anthem his father sang 'Danny Boy' on many emotionally charged occasions before a fight.

Category Barry McGuigan: 'Every fighter has a story that could break your heart' | The Independent Profiles Barry McGuigan: 'Every fighter has a story that could break your heart' A quarter of a century after he thrilled Britain and Ireland by winning the world title, the Clones Cyclone opens up on the peace process and why he had to carry a gun. Alan Hubbard meets Barry McGuigan Saturday 4 June 2011 23:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online "The trouble with boxing," says Barry McGuigan, "is that too often it ends in sadness. Every fighter has a story that could break your heart. We lose, we get hurt and everything comes apart. That's when it's so difficult to stay on the straight and narrow. Old fighters slip back into the game because it's so addictive, or they take to drink and drugs and end up being the opposite of what they were." The former world featherweight champion has always been something of a fistic philosopher who has managed to avoid that bleak route to self-destruction.

Britain has never produced a more lucid exponent of the dark trade than the charismatic Irishman who made hearts soar and voices sing when he won the world title on an unforgettable night at Loftus Road 26 years ago this weekend. Moreover, the Clones Cyclone emerged with his faculties intact and his popularity undiminished, comfortably enough off to send all four of his children to public schools, live happily ever after in a splendid Regency home in a picturesque Kent village with Sandra, the teenage sweetheart to whom he has been wed for 30 years, and remain an icon to all who seek a better life from boxing. It has helped that McGuigan, now 50 and retired for 22 years, has always had the gift of the gab. There may be a bit of the blarney but essentially he is someone who is conscious of the power of words in a world where fists are expected to do most of the talking. Yet only now has he decided to put several thousand of them on paper, waiting until his half-century before penning his autobiography and bucking the fashionable trend of so many sports personalities who regale us with trite tomes about careers which have barely begun.

The result is a measured reflection of the life and times of a man who, like his own hero Muhammad Ali, has transcended his sport through who he was and what he did out of the ring. There is no sleaze, no headline-seeking scandal. "I've spent my life navigating through sensitive issues. Not wanting to upset people," he tells me. Controversial it isn't, he admits, surprisingly adding: "If that's what you are expecting, don't buy the book." Yet tucked away on page 93 we find an astounding revelation about a man whose personal life is so unblemished he could be the Mary Poppins of pugilism. Back in 1985 he carried a gun. "Ah yes, the gun," he muses, explaining that it came at the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland when he was told that the Republicans had put a price on his head, and that there was a plot to kidnap him. "It came at a time when people were disappearing, and not long after the Shergar business [when the racehorse was kidnapped]. I was issued with a gun and police taught me how to use it, but the truth is I couldn't hit a barn door.

I was a terrible shot. I also had plain clothes police with me everywhere in case I was nabbed. "My suspicion was that it was all about ransom, trying to raise money for terrorist activities. But because of my popularity and non-political stance, kidnapping me had the potential to backfire. Yet when I look back now on some of the things I did and said, I was lucky to come through it unscathed." His paternal grandfather had been a captain in the IRA in the 1920s but McGuigan says: "From the outset I always promoted peace and reconciliation from a position of neutrality." He has a United Nations Inspiration for Peace award and on the jacket of his book Bono writes: "At a dark hour in Ireland Barry McGuigan's spirit shone a light towards peace." "I had broken all the rules in one of the most divided towns in Northern Ireland, a Catholic who married a Protestant, an Irishman who fought for the British title. There were people dying of bullets and bombs and so much depression. It was very important for me that I didn't wear colours or play any anthems.

My father sang 'Danny Boy' on the night I fought [Eusebio] Pedroza for the WBA title and I wore the UN flag of peace on my shorts. I knew who I was and where I came from. He adds: "What has happened now with the peace process is just amazing. If anyone had told me 25 years ago that the Queen would be cheered in Dublin and that Gerry Adams, Ian Paisley and Peter Robinson would put their arms around each other, I would have said 'put that man in a padded cell'. Of course, it worries me that there's still some bitterness, polarisation and division but what is happening now has to be the way to go. "I always felt a responsibility to help create a harmonious situation. When I beat Pedroza, 12,000 Irishmen flew to London, there was a TV audience of 19 million and a crowd of 75,000 on my return to Belfast airport, Catholics and Protestants together. "It was in 1987, the year my father died, after I had lost my title in Las Vegas, that I decided to move the family to England. It was a bit of a wrench.

I've been back several times to see the house Sandra and I lived in. The roads are no longer barricaded, and now I'm involved in a schools organisation called Integrated Education, which is the very essence of a shared future; putting kids of different faiths together when they are about four years old and haven't formulated their opinions and can grow up together." McGuigan has lived through troubles of his own. While he earned plenty, investing it wisely, there was a costly lawsuit after an acrimonious split with his former manager Barney Eastwood, his devastation at the post-fight death of one of his opponents, Nigerian Young Ali, in 1982, and the suicide of his brother Dermot, as well as his daughter Danika's battle with leukaemia, with which she was diagnosed at 11. She recovered and is now an actress. "I still think of Young Ali every day, wondering about his wife and child. I knocked him out in the sixth round and he never recovered. It had a dramatic effect on me. I really didn't want to fight on but I did, and in my next fight I honestly pulled my punches.

I had the guy in trouble and he was expecting me to finish him off but instead I hesitated and he nearly took my head off with a left hook. I realised I had to get the job done but I cried in the dressing room afterwards." McGuigan is still fighting on several fronts, including for the cancer charity Click following Danika's leukaemia. The little man whose name has even gone into Cockney rhyming slang (a "McGuigan" is a big 'un) has plenty of work as a TV pundit and has "fingers in many pies", especially after winning Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen "though I couldn't cook a bloody thing". The man who founded the pugs' trade union, the Professional Boxers' Association, remains immersed in the sport. He has opened four academies, where the emphasis is on educating minds as well as fists, and mentors the unbeaten Belfast bantamweight Carl Frampton ("the best prospect I've seen in 30 years") who was in an eliminator for the British title on a show that McGuigan himself co-promoted with Barry Hearn's Matchroom in Cardiff last night.

Until recently he schooled his son Shane, 22, a talented amateur who has taken a sabbatical from the ring and is studying for a degree in nutrition. "I don't think he'll box again. He doesn't have my obsessive genes and I think he found the McGuigan name a bit oppressive. But he's gone into personal training. He'll be an amazing coach – he's brilliant with Carl – and I'm sending him over to work with Freddie Roach. "Boxing is changing and training methods are slowly being dragged into the 21st century. The amateur game in particular needs professional coaches, which is why I find banning the likes of GB's Robert McCracken from the Olympics so stupid. Who are these people to deny young boxers the best possible expertise in their corner? Rob is a great coach and I don't see why his position should be made vulnerable by a bunch of blazers who have dug up a silly and archaic rule. What is their motive? "What excites me is how many talented kids there are out there.

I'm very enthused about 2012 and I'll be surprised if we don't win a handful of medals." However, he says the professional game is "going bonkers" with governing bodies creating a plethora of meaningless titles. "It confuses the public and demeans the sport. If we want boxing to be around in a hundred years there needs to be one governing body, one set of rules and one world title." Wearing his pundit's hat McGuigan surprisingly tips David Haye to clobber Wladimir Klitschko on 2 July. "It would do boxing the world of good. The Klitschkos are intelligent, but they are mechanical. Haye's cheeky, an exciting devil. I feel sure he'll knock him out once he gets past that long jab. "I may be in my dotage but I'm still young enough to remember what it's like to take a bit of leather in my mouth, to feel aches and pains, push myself to the limit.

I've been there, I've felt it." 'Cyclone: My Story' is published by Virgin Books, £18.99 Life and times: The Mary Poppins of pugilism Name Finbar Barry McGuigan. Born 28 February 1961, Clones, Co Monaghan. Now lives in Dargate, Kent. Record 35 pro fights: won 32, lost 3. Titles All Ireland amateur (1976); Commonwealth Games bantamweight gold (1978); British featherweight (1983-84), European featherweight (1983-84), World Boxing Association featherweight (1985-86). Family Late father Pat finished fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968. Married to Sandra for 30 years. Four children: Blain, 28, a politics graduate; Danika, 25, an actress; Jake, 23, assists Barry in boxing promotion; and Shane, 22, an Ulster amateur boxing champion, now a trainer. Other interests Boxing analyst for BSkyB, formerly with ITV.

Won Hell's Kitchen reality TV show, earning plaudits for potato dish "McGuigan's Mash". Established the Professional Boxers' Association in 1993, is involved in the rehabilitation of ex-boxers and has set up his own boxing academies. More about:

Question: Which boxer was nicknamed the Clones Cyclone
Answer: Barry McGuigan